Newslinks for Saturday 12th November 2016

Trump 1) Bold tax cuts pledge to be honoured

“His economic team vowed to push forward with a campaign promise to launch a $1tn fiscal stimulus plan and cut corporate taxes by as much as 20 percentage points. The prospect of Mr Trump holding to his campaign pledges has led to a tumultuous week in global financial markets, with investors being forced to quickly adjust to an incoming economic plan that could stimulate traditional industries and slash business regulation. ..Writing in the Financial Times, Mr Scaramucci, a member of Mr Trump’s economic advisory council, said the president-elect would finance the new spending plan with “historically cheap debt and public-private partnerships” and insisted it would reduce deficits by stimulating economic growth.” – Financial Times

The president-elect’s policies will make America grow again – Anthony Scaramucci Financial Times

“Theresa May’s belief that Donald Trump’s election will be good for Britain is delusional, one of the most senior politicians in Germany said yesterday. The Republican’s shock victory leaves Britain more isolated after Brexit and with a much reduced chance of striking a trade deal with the United States, Axel Schäfer, a key Brexit adviser in Berlin, told The Times. The prime minister has made plain her desire for a pragmatic relationship with the president-elect in marked contrast with much of the European Union, where leaders have reacted with alarm.” – The Times(£)

Trump 3) Fiona Hill said he was a chump

“Theresa May’s attempt to build bridges with the Trump administration suffered a setback yesterday when it emerged that her two closest advisers had belittled the president-elect during the campaign. In March Nick Timothy, the prime minister’s joint chief of staff, tweeted: “American politics was depressing enough before Trump took off.” Two months later he wrote “Urgh . . . as a Tory I don’t want any ‘reaching out’ to Trump” in response to an article suggesting that the Tories should begin building bridges. In December Fiona Hill, the other joint chief of staff, wrote: “Donald Trump is a chump #trumpisachump.” – The Times(£)

Trump 4) Bolton to the rescue?

“Washington, and the rest of the world, is waiting to see his choice as secretary of state, a person likely to play a bigger role than usual in the cabinet as the Trump administration gets to grips with a nervous world. Three names have emerged at the top of lists doing the rounds in Washington: Bob Corker, the head of the Senate’s foreign relations committee; Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House who campaigned for Mr Trump; and John Bolton, a hawkish ambassador to the United Nations at the time of George W Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. The choice of Mr Bolton would represent perhaps the sharpest break with the foreign policy ideas that Mr Trump articulated during the campaign for the US presidency.” – The Times(£)

Poll shows British public worried about NATO being weakened – Independent

Trump 5) Boris talks to Vice President-elect Mike Pence

“Boris Johnson and US Vice President-elect Mike Pence have spoken by phone about the US’s “close relationship” with the UK. The UK foreign secretary said on Twitter they had agreed on the “importance of the special relationship and need to tackle global challenges”. Sources close to Mr Johnson said the two men spoke for 10 minutes on Thursday. The BBC understands it was Mr Pence’s first call to an overseas politician.” – BBC

Trump 6) Protests to continue over the weekend

“Protesters across the US were gearing up on Friday for weekend demonstrations over the election of Donald Trump, as other activists began work on plans to disrupt the Republican’s inauguration in Washington early next year. Rowdy protests against Trump and his divisive campaign have spread to cities all over the country following his victory on Tuesday, leading to dozens of arrests and a complaint from Trump in one of his first public remarks as president-elect.” – The Guardian

Trump 6) Parris: It’s just a passing fad

“The voiceless have spoken!” “The cry of the dispossessed!” “We must focus on their concerns!”…Well la-la-la, I’m not listening. It’s nonsense. It’s a fashion. It’s bogus. It’s a meme that has gone viral. It will pass. We just have to make sure that before this wave of madness subsides, we don’t indulge a cartload of xenophobes and pea-brains who would wreck the West.” – Matthew Parris The Times(£)

Trump 7) Forsyth: May can persuade him European security matters

“As one Cabinet minister tells me, if Mrs May gets it right she can be the one to persuade Trump that, “European security still matters to America’s national security”. Even if she can’t do that, Trump still strengthens her negotiating hand with the EU. If the US starts backing away from its obligation to defend other Nato members from attack then Britain’s nuclear deterrent and military forces will become far more important than before to Europe’s security.” – James Forsyth The Sun

Corbyn hinks he can be the Trump of the Left. Bless. – Tom Harris Daily Telegraph

Brexit 1) Farmers face up to prospect of lower direct subsidies

“Farmers will lose most of their direct subsidies after Brexit and must do more to prove that any remaining support delivers public benefits, a farmers’ leader has said. More than £2 billion a year is paid to farmers based on the amount of land they own but Minette Batters, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, accepted that these payments would all but disappear once Britain left the EU. The National Trust and many campaign groups have already called for an end to these “basic payments”. Ms Batters revealed that the farming industry also accepted the need for radical reform of subsidies.” – The Times(£)

Brexit 2) Hungarians “told they can stay”

“Theresa May has given assurances that Hungarians working in Britain will not be affected after the UK leaves the EU, the country’s prime minister said. Viktor Orban, who met Mrs May in London this week, said that they had agreed on the issue involving 100,000 Hungarians already working in Britain. Mr Orban’s claim would seem to kill off suggestions that the fate of EU workers in Britain could be a strong bargaining chip in Brexit talks.” – The Times(£)

Brexit 3) Lib Dem MPs would vote against Brexit

“Liberal Democrat, some Labour and SDLP MPs have told the BBC they are prepared to vote against triggering Article 50. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said his party would oppose it, unless they were promised a second referendum on the UK’s Brexit deal with EU leaders. Several Labour MPs are also willing to vote against it, despite the Labour Party pledging not to do so. The government says Lib Dem and Labour MPs are “trying to thwart and reverse the referendum result”.” – BBC

Brexit 4) Article 50 could be reversed Government lawyers to argue

“Government lawyers are exploring the possibility of arguing in the supreme court that the article 50 process could be reversed by parliament at any time before the UK completes its exit from the European Union. Prominent academic experts have told the Guardian they know the government’s legal team has sounded out lawyers about the potential change of tack, which some argue would lead to a victory in the case brought by Gina Miller and other campaigners.” – The Guardian

Brexit 5) Fox has yet to visit EU

“International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has snubbed colleagues in the EU since Brexit by failing to take a single official trip across the Channel. The Brexit-backing business chief is yet to make an overseas trip to visit his European counterparts in a bid to drum up trade post-Brexit, preferring instead to fly to several other continents. Dr Fox has tried to maximise Britain’s trading potential by jetting off to Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India and America, who could all become valuable economic partners when Theresa May invokes Article 50 and sets the Brexit wheels in motion.” – Daily Express

Brexit 6) SNP MP held her noise while voting Remain

“An SNP MP who is one of the party’s rising stars has disclosed she “held her nose” while voting Remain in the EU referendum. The Telegraph can reveal that Mhairi Black told a public meeting in Aberdeenshire this week – part of the SNP’s renewed campaign for independence – that she voted for the UK to stay in the European Union with some reluctance.” – Daily Telegraph

Elphicke demands cheaper petrol

“Furious MPs demanded petrol giants stop fleecing Brits and pass on a 4p price drop worth £80 million a week at the pump. The Chancellor was urged to intervene as new figures revealed wholesale prices have tumbled in the past two weeks – but motorists are yet to see ANY reduction. Charlie Elphicke, the Tory MP who chairs a cross-party Parliamentary group on fuel, told the Sun: “These shocking figures show why we need an independent PumpWatch to police fuel prices and get a fair deal at the forecourt.We must build a Brexit Britain that works for every family, every small firm and every driver.” – The Sun

Militants apply to rejoin Labour Party

“Expelled figures linked to the former Militant wing of the Labour Party have formally applied to rejoin Labour. The 75 applicants include former Militant leaders Peter Taaffe and Dave Nellist, who was Labour MP for Coventry South East for nine years. They cite Donald Trump’s election as US president as a motivation to “assist the struggle to transform Labour”. The internal battle with the Militant tendency faction was one of Labour’s biggest controversies of the 1980s.” – BBC

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